Me?
Absolutely fucking not.
Unfortunately, the bond immediately betrayed me by flooding warm affection through my chest at her teasing.
Traitorous thing.
We continued deeper through the Spring Equinox Festival while music drifted through the night air around us.
Floating lanterns glimmered overhead between gothic towers while enchanted rides spun beneath ribbons of moonlight and magic.
Students danced beneath glowing trees.
Monsters laughed openly beside bonfires.
Witches traded charms and potion sweets at candlelit stalls.
Runevald itself seemed almost gentler tonight beneath Máni’s blessing.
Alive.
Celebrating.
And through it all, right beside me, walked my mate.
Mine.
The word settled easier inside me now.
No longer frightening.
Only true.
I kept one hand firmly at the small of Amrin’s back while we walked, unable to stop touching her.
The matebond magnified every tiny interaction until even brushing my knuckles against her hip sent satisfaction curling through me.
She smelled incredible too.
Moonlight.
Jasmine.
Magic.
And beneath it—my claiming scent wrapped around her beautifully now.
Any supernatural creature with functioning instincts would recognize her immediately as mated.
Good.
Excellent, actually.
The farther we moved from the center plaza, the quieter things became.
The rides stood nearer the cliffs overlooking the black sea below Runevald, their enchanted lights spinning slowly against the darkness while screams and laughter drifted faintly through the wind.
Then I saw them.
